Congressional Record: January 29, 2003 (Senate)
Page S1752-S1756
STATEMENTS ON SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS
SENATE RESOLUTION 29--DEMANDING THE RETURN OF THE USS PUEBLO TO THE
UNITED STATES NAVY
Mr. CAMPBELL submitted the following resolution; which was referred
to the Committee on Foreign Relations:
Whereas the USS Pueblo, which was attacked and captured by
the North Korean Navy on January 23, 1968, was the first
United States Navy ship to be hijacked on the high seas by a
foreign military force in over 150 years;
Whereas 1 member of the USS Pueblo crew, Duane Hodges, was
killed in the assault while the other 82 crew members were
held in captivity, often under inhumane conditions, for 11
months;
Whereas the USS Pueblo, an intelligence collection
auxiliary vessel, was operating in international waters at
the time of the capture, and therefore did not violate North
Korean territorial waters;
Whereas the capture of the USS Pueblo resulted in no
reprisals against the Government or people of North Korea and
no military action at any time; and
Whereas the USS Pueblo, though still the property of the
United States Navy, has been retained by North Korea for more
than 30 years, was subjected to exhibition in the North
Korean cities of Wonsan and Hungham, and is now on display in
Pyongyang, the capital city of North Korea: Now, therefore,
be it
Resolved,That the Senate--
(1) demands the return of the USS Pueblo to the United
States Navy; and
(2) directs the Secretary of the Senate to transmit copies
of this resolution to the President, the Secretary of
Defense, and the Secretary of State.
Mr. CAMPBELL. Mr. President, I am pleased to submit a Senate
Resolution calling on North Korea to return the USS Pueblo to the
United States Navy. The legislation I am reintroducing today is based
on a resolution I introduced last year during the 107th Congress,
Senate Resolution 246.
On January 23, 1968, the USS Pueblo was unjustly attacked and
captured by
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the North Korean Navy, becoming the first United States Navy ship to be
hijacked on the high seas by a foreign military force in over 150
years. At the time of its capture, the USS Pueblo was operating as an
intelligence collection auxiliary vessel, and did not pose a threat.
This act of aggression resulted in the USS Pueblo's 82 crew members
being held in captivity for eleven months, often in inhumane
conditions. Another brave crew member, Duane Hodges, was killed during
the initial attack and several more crew members were wounded. On
December 23, 1968, after nearly a year of being unjustly detained the
surviving USS Pueblo crew members were finally released and allowed to
return home.
It is interesting to note that the USS Pueblo I am calling on the
North Koreans to return today is in fact the third ship of the fleet to
be named in honor of the city and county of Pueblo, located in my home
State of Colorado. The first ship of the fleet to be named in honor of
Pueblo was an armored cruiser which had previously been named the
Colorado. In 1916, the USS Colorado was renamed as the USS Pueblo when
a new battleship named USS Colorado was authorized. The first USS
Pueblo served until 1927. The second USS Pueblo was a city class
frigate which served from 1944 to 1946. She was later sold to the
Dominican Republic where she serves today.
The third USS Pueblo is the ship now wrongly held by the North
Koreans. Built by the Kewaunee Shipbuilding and Engineering
Corporation, Kewaunee, WI, the ship originally served as a general
purpose supply vessel FP-344 for service in the U.S. Army
Transportation Corps when she was launched on April 16, 1944. During
1966 and 1967 the ship was converted, redesignated as the USS Pueblo
and commissioned as an environmental research vessel, AGER-2.
It is important to note that even to this day the capture of the USS
Pueblo has resulted in no reprisal against North Korea, demonstrating
remarkable restraint by the United States. Even though the USS Pueblo
still clearly remains the legal property of the United States Navy, the
North Korean Government has kept it on display as a sort of traveling
propaganda museum.
Recent events have made it clear that many unresolved issues remain
regarding our Nation's relationship with North Korea. For example,
North Korea's recent high-profile resumption of nuclear saber-rattling
presents a serious resurgent challenge that we, our allies in Northeast
Asia and the rest of the world community must take seriously.
While I certainly agree that successfully resolving this situation is
first and foremost, I also believe that there are other positive
restorative steps that the North Koreans should take in order to help
improve our bilateral relationship. One such action would be to return
the USS Pueblo to its rightful owners, the United States Navy and the
American people they serve and protect.
While returning the USS Pueblo may not necessarily remove the 35
year-old scars inflicted by the attack of January 23, 1968, and
especially those suffered by the crew of the USS Pueblo and by their
families and loved ones, it would serve as a good will gesture, a salve
if you will, signaling hope for a brighter future between our two
nation's peoples.
I stand with my colleagues back home in the Colorado State General
Assembly in demanding the return of the USS Pueblo to the United States
Navy.
I urge my colleagues here in the U.S. Senate to join me in supporting
passage of this important resolution.
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